1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an underground, contained pipe assembly, the components of which are readily removable after installation for repair and maintenance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Underground tank systems are defined as any system that has 10% or more of its overall volume underground, including associated piping. Such systems are regulated by legislation which require the use of secondary containment with interstitial monitoring for systems that contain or transport hazardous chemicals or substances. The provision of secondary containment is optional for systems that carry or transport oil, gasoline or other petroleum based products, but in any case, the use of corrosion resistant materials is mandatory for new systems. The concept of double containment piping provides the additional degree of safety for pipes that are designed to transport hazardous, toxic or extremely corrosive chemicals. There have been many products developed to date, but the products that have been developed have not completely addressed some of the unique problems that arise when a tank or pipe is placed within another tank or pipe.
One such problem is the ease of maintaining, modifying or repairing such systems. To date, most underground storage tank double wall systems have been installed without having an ability to have ready access to the systems in the event of an upset condition. Therefore, if a repair or modification is to be made, the original system manufacturer/contractor must be called in to facilitate the repair. In many designs, a repair of a certain section would not be feasible or even possible due to the location of the system with respect to adjacent equipment or building parts. In any case, the fact that a tank and/or piping system is directly buried results in an expensive excavation in the event of a repair. What would be very helpful to most facility owners is the ability to have a system that is readily accessible. A system capable of being readily accessible would give the facility engineer the ability to have the tank or pipe section requiring modification or repair capable of being modified without a major excavation and disruption to the business. In some instances, a faulty tank or pipe section could be sent to a shop for repair, and then readily placed back into service.